001 Statement of Purpose.
The purpose of these regulations is to aid in carrying out the legislative intent and general purposes of the statutes of Nebraska governing the control of anthrax among domestic animals, which statutes are set out in sections 54-754 to 54-763, R.R.S., 1943.

002 Administration.
These regulations are administered by the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Animal Industry, whose offices are located in the State Office Building, on the fourth floor, 301 Centennial Mall South, Lincoln, Nebraska. The mailing address is P.O. Box 94987, Lincoln, Nebraska 68509. The telephone number is (402) 471-2351.

003 Vaccination and Quarantine.
All livestock exposed to, suspected of being, or having been exposed to, anthrax shall be immunized with a vaccine made from a vegetative, nonencapsulated form of the anthrax organism. No vaccine may be used unless and until the prior approval of the Bureau is obtained. Such vaccinations shall be made at the expense of the owner except as provided by Section 54-763 of the anthrax statutes. The owner of livestock ordered vaccinated shall confine such livestock in a suitable place and shall furnish the necessary assistance and facilities for restraining the livestock as requested by the State Veterinarian. All vaccinated livestock shall be quarantined upon the premises where vaccinated until the quarantine is released by the State Veterinarian.

004 Cleaning and Disinfecting.
All cleaning and disinfecting shall be done under the supervision of the bureau, and the disinfectant to be applied shall be as prescribed by the State Veterinarian as the facts and circumstances of each case require.

005 Diagnosis and Confirmation of Disease.
The official diagnosis shall be made by the State Veterinarian following consultation with both the veterinarians making clinical observations and the laboratory approved for this purpose by the State Veterinarian, which laboratory shall also be the confirming authority. Confirmation shall be based on accepted methods of laboratory identification by the use of standard procedures, which procedures shall include at least two of the following:

005.01.   Morphological identification;

005.02.   Laboratory isolation;

005.03.   Accepted serological tests, e.g. Ascoli test; and

005.04.   Animal inoculations.

006.01.   The following specimens shall be submitted from the suspected anthrax carcass where no necropsy has been performed;

006.01A.   Muscle tissue, for which the ear shall be cut close enough to the head to obtain such tissue; and

006.01B.   One to five milliliters of whole blood.

006.02.   Where a necropsy has been performed, the following shall be submitted:

006.02A.   Spleen;

006.02B.   Blood, as described above;

006.02C.   Any lymph nodes; and

006.02D.   Any obviously pathogenic tissue, including muscle.

006.03.   The following procedure for submission shall be observed;

006.03A.   The package shall be labeled, "Anthrax Suspect";

006.03B.   There shall be enclosed within such package a complete history of the animal, and addresses and telephone numbers of both the owner or caretaker, and the veterinarian submitting the specimens;

006.03C.   The specimens shall be packed with containers of ice or other refrigerant, but in no case shall the specimens be frozen, or preservatives used;

006.03D.   The contents shall be enclosed in an impervious, leakproof container; and

006.03E.   The container shall be rushed to the approved laboratory.